The leaked photos reveal the updated interior and exterior styling of the upgraded German luxury E-Class.

The most obvious changes are to the headlights. The new single-lens units replace the old twin-lens design for a more elegant looking front-end. There's also LED running light strips in each headlight, giving the E-Class a more distinctive character.

The E-Class has a larger and more prominent grille and features a redesigned front bumper. Changes to rear end are more subtle with the headlights maintaining their shape.

Mercedes is set to reveal more details on the updated E-Class, ahead of its official unveiling at the 2013 Detroit motor show in January.